Cover-carrier for mail trays and the like

ABSTRACT

A cover-carrier for objects, such as stacked trays of mail which are to be maintained in order, transported and protected, features hooks which are magnetically latched in either suspended or retracted positions. On opposite walls of the inverted boxlike cover-carrier, hanging on horizontal pins, are the elongated loop ends of the hooks which when turned downward pass through apertures. Magnets between the pins and the apertures holds the hooks inwardly against the wall of the cover-carrier, to engage beneath the lip of the lowermost object. When the hooks are rotated outwardly, their loop ends slip downward in a retracted position, where they are held by the same magnets.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Gene D. Danenberger R.R. 2, Box83AA, Chandler-ville, 62627; Glenn G. Vancil, Rte. 1,, Pawnee, II].62558 [21] Appl. No. 783,354 [22] Filed Dec. 12, 1968 [45 Patented Mar.9, 1971 [54] COVER-CARRIER FOR MAIL TRAYS AND THE LIKE 7 Claims, 1Drawing Fig. [52] US. Cl. 220/55, 294/31 [51] Int. Cl B65d 45/00 [50]Field ofSearch 220/55, 55

(G), 55 (H), 55 (K), 55 (M), 55 (J), 4; 294/(Misc.), 26.5, 27, 28, 31,672 (C), 67.4 (B), 86, 86.29, 86.33, 88,90, 97, 113, 114, (GE), 82;312/284, 42, 72; 292/1 14 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,858,179 10/1958 Puemer et a1. 312/284X 3,088,619 5/1963 Boucher 220/4X3,104,903 9/1963 Futch et a1 220/55(K)X 3,201,077 8/1965 Heimann 294/85X3,279,639 10/1966 Fahringer.... 220/4 3,360,644 12/1967 Lillebostad220/55 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,452,299 9/ 1966 France 220/55(g) 1,157,0131/1962 Germany.. 220/55(MAG) Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk AssistantExaminerW. Scott Carson AttorneyJerome A. Gross ABSTRACT: Acover-carrier for objects, such as stacked trays of mail which are to bemaintained in order, transported and protected, features hooks which aremagnetically latched in either suspended or retracted positions. Onopposite walls' of the inverted boxlike cover-carrier, hanging onhorizontal pins, are the elongated loop ends of the hooks which whenturned downward pass through apertures. Magnets between the pins and theapertures holds the hooks inwardly against the wall of thecover-carrier, to engage beneath the lip of the lowermost object. Whenthe hooks are rotated outwardly, their loop ends slip downward in aretracted position, where they are held by the same magnets.

Bisss'me PATENTED MAR 9 |97l GENE D. DANEMBEQGEF? GLENN VAM C/ 51 w r tCoven-chart non MAIL TRAYS AND THE Laos BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONCertain objects must be maintained in order and protected while beingmoved over even short distances, for example,

trays of outgoing mail arranged by postal districts, to be SUMMARY OFTHE INVENTION Summarizing generally and without limitation, the presentinvention provides a protective cover-carrier especially well suited forstacked flanged objects such as mail trays. The carrier is essentiallyan inverted box having a pair of opposed vertical walls which terminatein a lower edge plane. A support pin is mounted horizontally on theouter side of each of these walls, parallel to it. On each pin is arigid suspending hook, having a sliding loop end which hingedly engagesthe pin; as well as a hook end. The loop end has two elongated opposedsides, so that the hook may either hang downwardly in a suspendedposition or alternately be moved angularly and lifted more than 90, sothat the loop end will slide relative to the pin and drop into aretracted position.

The book end is turned inwardly of the wall when in such suspendedposition. An aperture through the wall, beneath the support pin, permitsentry of the hook end inwardly of the wall, so that it may extendbeneath the lip edge of a flange on the lowermost mail tray or otherobject to be supported. The hook end so slopes upwardly and inwardly,when in this position, that when the cover-carrier is lifted, thedownward lip of the edge flange of the lowermost tray tends to hold thehook against the outer wall of the cover-carrier.

For greater assurance of alignment and security in carrying, however,detent means are provided on the outer walls between the hook aperturesand the support pins. The preferred detent is a magnet which magnetwhich, when the hook end is in suspended position, grasps one of theelongated sides of the loop end of the hook. When the hookis rotatedoutwardly and upwardly and its loop and slides over the pin to theretracted position, the same magnet grasps and detains the otherelongated side of the loop end.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view, partlyfrom above, showing the features of the present invention as seen at oneend of the cover-carrier. The opposite end is identical. The hook isshown retracted.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational view of the cover-carrier end shown inFIG. I. The hook is shown lowered.

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken alongline 3-3 of FIG. 2. An end portion of a mail tray is shown in solidlines; the phantom lines show its relative position when thecover-carrier is lifted. The retracted position of the hook is alsoshown in phantom lines.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A cover-carrier embodying thepresent invention is shown in FIG. 1, with its hook in retractedposition. A rigid inverted or open bottomed box, generally designated10, may be fabricated of any fairly strong rigid sheet material,reinforced as hereinafter described. It has a top 11, longer sidewallsl2, and opposed vertical end walls 13. The sidewalls 12 and end walls 13terminate in a lower edge plane 14, which may have a reinforcing flange19 and reinforced corners 15. Riveted onto each of the end walls 13 is asheet metal reinforcing plate 16, with a hinged carrying handle 17.

On a bracket 18, projecting from each of the reinforcing plates 16 belowthe handle 17, is mounted a support pin 20 which extends horizontally onthe outer side of the wall 13 and parallel to its surface. The pin 20,as mounted by the bracket 18, serves as means to support the slidingloop end 22 of a swingable suspension hook designated 24, whose oppositeend is referred to as the hook end 25. The hook 24 is preferably formedof rigid steel or other material of a type attractable by a magnet.

As will be apparent from FIG. 3, the pin 20, as it supports thesuspending or loop end 22 of the hook means 24, in effect hinges the end22 and permits it to swing angularly in a plane perpendicular to the endwall 13. The loop shape of the suspending end 22 includes twosubstantially parallel elongated sides 27, 28, and the latter being theouter side of the loop when the hook 24 is in suspended position shownin FIG. 3. In the elongated side 28, a notch 29, best shown in FIG. 2,is

cut adjacent to a bore 30 through one flange of the bracket 18.

Together they receive a padlock, not shown, when the hook 24 is insuspended position. One or more rivets 31 prevent spreading of the sides27,28.

The hook end 25 is preferably not curved'but angularly bent at an anglegreater than so that in the suspended position shown in FIG. 3, itslopes upward.

Through each of the end walls 13, located spacedly beneath the supportpin 18 which establishes the point of suspension of the hook 24 andspacedly above the lower edge plane 14, is an aperture '34 of suchlength and width sufficient to permit the entry of the hook end 25 whensuspended downward as shown in FIG. 3. Thus, the spacing of the aperture34 below the support pin 18 corresponds generally to the length of thebook 24. Between the point of suspension so established and the aperture34 is located means to detain the hook 24 in its suspended position. Thepreferred means to detain is magnetic. In the apparatus illustrated aflat permanent magnet 35 is mounted as shown, so that when the hook 24is in suspended position it attracts, grasps and detains the elongatedside 27 of the loop end 22. When the hook 24 is so detained firmlyagainst the end wall 13, the hook end 25 is so positioned as to projectas far as possible inwardly of the wall 13.

The purpose of the loop end 22 is to permit retraction of the hook 24;thus when a cover carrier is not is use, both hooks 24 will be in theretracted position as shown in FIG. 1 and in phantom lines in FIG. 3. Aseach hook 24 is forced out of engagement with magnet 35 which detains itand swung and raised angularly through an angle greater than 90, itsloop end 22 commences to slide relative to the pin 20, and its elongatedside. 28 moves downward adjacent to the forward wall 13, until a portionof it comes into contact with the magnet 35 when in the fully retractedposition shown in the phantom lines of FIG. 3. The hook 24 is thendetained firmly by the magnet 35 so that there is no tendency for it tofall forward regardless how loosely the loop end 22 may be formed, norwill it rattle in handling. To achieve this purpose the magnetic detent35 is spaced below the pin 20 less than the length of the elongateelongated loop sides 27, 28.

An object suitable for carrying by the cover carrier is a mail traygenerally designated 40, shown fragmentarily in FIG. 3. Such tray has asupporting bottom 41 to rest on a table which, when the cover-carrier isin place, also supports it along the lower edge plane 14. The mail tray4'0 has sides 42 and ends 43; these terminate in opposed edge flanges44, by which the tray 41) may be carried. The spacing of the flanges 44from each other is slightly less than the spacing of the inner sides ofthe end walls 13 of the cover carrier. Each of the edge flanges 44terminates in a downward projecting lip portion 45, which establishes aspacing for the flanges above the plane 14 on which the tray bottom 41may rest, which spacing is slightly more than the height of the hook end25 above the plane 14 when in the suspended position shown in FIG. 3.

In use, a tray 40 is placed on a table or other supporting surface; andsimilar trays, not shown, may be stacked thereon, to a height whichequalsthe inside height of the box 10. The carrier cover, with its hooks24 in retracted position as shown in FIG. 1, is then placed over thetrays so stacked. The hooks 24 are lifted to disengage them from themagnets 35 and draw their loop ends 22 against the pins 20, after whichthe hooks 24! are permitted to swing angularly downward. Their ends 25enter through the apertures 34, being there retained, by the magnets 35,in position beneath the lip portions 45 of the tray flanges 44, as shownin MG. 3.

The cover-carrier is then lifted by its handles 17. Lifting it slightlycauses the hook ends 25 to engage the lip portions 45 beneath theflanges 44 of the tray 40. The weight of the tray 40, together with thatof other trays stacked thereon and the contents thereof, will pressdownwardly against the upward slope of the hook ends 24. This downwardpressure against the sloping ends 2 is in effect a camming engagement,which tends to draw and hold the hooks 24 inwardly firmly against theouter side of the walls 13. When so lifted and carried, the lowermosttray bottom 41 extends downward slightly below the lower edge plane 14;yet the trays are adequately protected by the cover-carrier.

When the cover-carrier is set down, the tray bottom 41 is raised to thelower edge plane 14, releasing the engagement of its projecting lipportions 45 with the hook ends 25. If padlocks have been used, they areremoved. The hooks 24 are then drawn away from the detaining magnets 35,turned angularly upward, and permitted to drop to the retracted positionshown in FIG. 1. The cover-carrier is then lifted off the stack of trays4%.

We claim:

1. Cover apparatus engageable onto an object and disengageabletherefrom, comprising:

a cover having a flat sidewall;

a support pin mounted in horizontally on the outer side of and parallelto the wall;

rigid suspending hook means including:

a hook end turned perpendicular to the support pin and inwardly when thehook means in is in downward suspended position;

a sliding loop end hingedly engaged on the pin, the loop end having twoelongated flat parallel sides;

whereby when the hook means hangs downwardly from the pin, one of saidsides is between the pin and the wall, and when raised upwardly, theother of said sides is between the pin and the wall, thereby permittingthe hook slide relative to the pin into a retracted position with thehook end upward of the pin; and

the wall having an aperture below the support pin a distancecorresponding to the length of the suspending hook means.

2. Cover apparatus as defined in claim 1 together with magnetic detentmeans, engageable between the wall and alternately with either of saidflat sides of the loop end, to detain the hook means in either itsdownward suspended position or its retracted position.

3. A cover-carrier for an object to be protected, comprisingzopen-bottomed means having a wall terminating in a lower edge plane;

swingable suspension hook means having a suspending end and a hook end;

means on the outer side of the wall to support the suspending end of thehook means at a point of suspension, and to permit angular swingingmovement thereof perpendicular to the wall;

aperture means through the wall, spacedly beneath the point ofsuspension and above the lower edge plane, to permit the entry of thehook end of the hook means when suspended downward from the suspendingend; and means, positioned on the outer side of the wall between saidmeans to support and said aperture means. to engage and detain the hookmeans, in such suspended position, firmly against the wall,' thesuspending end of the suspension hook means includes a sliding loophaving two elongated opposite sides, one of said sides being presentedagainst said means to engage and detain when the hook means is suspendedfrom its suspending ends, the other srde being presented there againstupon raising the hook above said point of suspension and permitting itssliding loop to slide downward into contact therewith.

4. A cover-carrier for objects to be protected, comprising:

an inverted box having a pair of opposed vertical walls, terminating ina lower edge plane;

a support pin mounted horizontally on the outer side of and parallel toeach of the walls;

rigid suspending hook means including a sliding loop end hingedlyengaged on the pin, the loop end having two elongated opposed sides;

whereby the hook means may hang downwardly from the pin in a suspendedposition, and may alternately be lifted and move angularly more thanuntil the loop end slides relative to the pin into a retracted position;

the suspending hook means further including a hook end turned inwardlyof the wall when the hook means is in such suspended position;

an aperture through the wall beneath the support pin, whereby to permitentry of the hook end inwardly of the wall; and

means, mounted on the wall between the aperture and the support pin, todetain the hook means in either suspended or retracted position.

5. A cover-carrier as defined in claim 4, wherein:

the means to detain is spaced below the pin a distance less than thelength of the elongated sides of the loop end;

whereby to detain one of said elongated sides when in retractedposition.

6. The combinations of a cover-carrier as defined in claim 4,

with an object to be covered and carried thereby;

the object having a bottom support, whereby it may rest at said loweredge plane, and having opposed edge flanges by which the object may becarried and whose spacing from each other is slightly less than thespacing of the cover-carrier box walls having said apertures; and

the edge flanges being spaced above said lower edge plane slightly morethan the height of the hook ends thereabove when the hook means aredetained in suspended position;

whereby lifting the cover-carrier slightly causes the hook ends toengage beneath the flanges of the object.

7. The combination defined in claim 6, wherein:

the edge flanges of the object include downward projecting lip portions;and

wherein the hook ends slip upward when in suspended position;

whereby on lifting the cover-carrier, the downward projecting lipportions of the edge flanges so press downwardly against the upwardslope of the book ends as to tend to draw the hook means inwardlyagainst the outer sides of the walls of the cover-carrier.

1. Cover apparatus engageable onto an object and disengageabletherefrom, comprising: a cover having a flat sidewall; a support pinmounted in horizontally on the outer side of and parallel to the wall;rigid suspending hook means including: a hook end turned perpendicularto the support pin and inwardly when the hook means in is in downwardsuspended position; a sliding loop end hingedly engaged on the pin, theloop end having two elongated flat parallel sides; whereby when the hookmeans hangs downwardly from the pin, one of said sides is between thepin and the wall, and when raised upwardly, the other of said sides isbetween the pin and the wall, tHereby permitting the hook slide relativeto the pin into a retracted position with the hook end upward of thepin; and the wall having an aperture below the support pin a distancecorresponding to the length of the suspending hook means.
 2. Coverapparatus as defined in claim 1 together with magnetic detent means,engageable between the wall and alternately with either of said flatsides of the loop end, to detain the hook means in either its downwardsuspended position or its retracted position.
 3. A cover-carrier for anobject to be protected, comprising: open-bottomed means having a wallterminating in a lower edge plane; swingable suspension hook meanshaving a suspending end and a hook end; means on the outer side of thewall to support the suspending end of the hook means at a point ofsuspension, and to permit angular swinging movement thereofperpendicular to the wall; aperture means through the wall, spacedlybeneath the point of suspension and above the lower edge plane, topermit the entry of the hook end of the hook means when suspendeddownward from the suspending end; and means, positioned on the outerside of the wall between said means to support and said aperture means,to engage and detain the hook means, in such suspended position, firmlyagainst the wall, the suspending end of the suspension hook meansincludes a sliding loop having two elongated opposite sides, one of saidsides being presented against said means to engage and detain when thehook means is suspended from its suspending ends, the other side beingpresented there against upon raising the hook above said point ofsuspension and permitting its sliding loop to slide downward intocontact therewith.
 4. A cover-carrier for objects to be protected,comprising: an inverted box having a pair of opposed vertical walls,terminating in a lower edge plane; a support pin mounted horizontally onthe outer side of and parallel to each of the walls; rigid suspendinghook means including a sliding loop end hingedly engaged on the pin, theloop end having two elongated opposed sides; whereby the hook means mayhang downwardly from the pin in a suspended position, and mayalternately be lifted and move angularly more than 90* until the loopend slides relative to the pin into a retracted position; the suspendinghook means further including a hook end turned inwardly of the wall whenthe hook means is in such suspended position; an aperture through thewall beneath the support pin, whereby to permit entry of the hook endinwardly of the wall; and means, mounted on the wall between theaperture and the support pin, to detain the hook means in eithersuspended or retracted position.
 5. A cover-carrier as defined in claim4, wherein: the means to detain is spaced below the pin a distance lessthan the length of the elongated sides of the loop end; whereby todetain one of said elongated sides when in retracted position.
 6. Thecombinations of a cover-carrier as defined in claim 4, with an object tobe covered and carried thereby; the object having a bottom support,whereby it may rest at said lower edge plane, and having opposed edgeflanges by which the object may be carried and whose spacing from eachother is slightly less than the spacing of the cover-carrier box wallshaving said apertures; and the edge flanges being spaced above saidlower edge plane slightly more than the height of the hook endsthereabove when the hook means are detained in suspended position;whereby lifting the cover-carrier slightly causes the hook ends toengage beneath the flanges of the object.
 7. The combination defined inclaim 6, wherein: the edge flanges of the object include downwardprojecting lip portions; and wherein the hook ends slip upward when insuspended position; whereby on lifting the cover-carrier, the downwardprojecting lip portions of the edge flanges so press downwardly againsttHe upward slope of the hook ends as to tend to draw the hook meansinwardly against the outer sides of the walls of the cover-carrier.